


Joy, Shining, Blooming

by Calesvol



Series: The Way of Yin & Yang [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Canon - Manga, Canon Rewrite, Character Development, F/M, Family Bonding, Haruno Sakura-centric, One-Sided Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Slow Burn, Team as Family, Teambuilding, World Travel, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25250587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calesvol/pseuds/Calesvol
Summary: Set within the Interlude period, Sakura Haruno has made the decision to no longer be weak and to let her team mates watch her back. Surrounded by friends and teachers who show her the way, Sakura's journey takes her across the world to evolve into the kunoichi she wishes to become; a bud that flowers into the cherry blossom of the battlefield.
Relationships: Haruno Kizashi & Haruno Mebuki & Haruno Sakura, Haruno Sakura & Hyuuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura & Hyuuga Hinata & Tenten & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura & Katsuyu, Haruno Sakura & Shizune & Tsunade, Haruno Sakura & Tsunade, Haruno Sakura & Yuuhi Kurenai, Haruno Sakura/Hyuuga Neji
Series: The Way of Yin & Yang [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751263
Comments: 35
Kudos: 142





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

Warning(s): T, none

* * *

“I want to apprentice myself to Lady Fifth.”

The comfortable clatter of silverware and passing dishes at the Haruno family table fell uncharacteristically silent that evening, her parents’ eyes trained with a spectrum of shock at the sudden admission from their daughter. It hadn’t been the first time such a pregnant pause had hushed them all, as it had been no different seven years ago when Sakura had similarly declared that she wanted to be admitted into the Ninja Academy and train to become a kunoichi of the Leaf.

“Sakura, honey, are you sure? Lady Fifth must be awfully busy, and so soon after everything that happened to your friend,” Mebuki reasoned gently, setting down her soup spoon she’d been using for her miso soup.

“Have you thought this over?” Kizashi chimed in, a thoughtfulness surrounding him. It wasn’t the tension of refusal, but consideration. “I’m certainly not saying no, but I just want to make sure you’re absolutely certain about this. …We wouldn’t want to _miso_ out on anything.”

“ _Dad!_ ”

“Kizashi, really? Now of all times?” Mebuki sighed in exasperation.

“What?” Kizashi protested with the beginnings of a rakish smirk. “You two look so serious I just couldn’t help myself. Besides,” he paused with a fatherly look towards Sakura, “you and I both know what our answer will be, Mebuki. We supported our daughter all the way through the Academy, and like hell we’ll stop now.”

Sakura couldn’t help but cast her father a disbelieving but grateful look, relief underscoring it. He was right, though. Even when she’d been young and a little foolish, her wish to join the Academy inspired by Ino and her own father’s profession as a genin-level shinobi, she’d wanted so badly to be a strong kunoichi. Especially if it meant proving her peers wrong.

Even more than that, with Sasuke stolen away by the nefarious Orochimaru and Naruto training with the legendary Toad Sage, Jiraiya, it left Sakura in more than just the dust. She might even go so far as to call it mud.

“I’m just… so worried about him,” Sakura confessed with a closed throat, hands dug into her lap. “I’m not strong enough to save him where I’m at. If I don’t do something and train with one of the Sannin, he’ll be out of my reach forever. I made a promise, and I’m not going to go back on it!”

Her parents exchanged concerned looks, but they understood. As it was, there were worse things to do than see their daughter apprenticed to the Hokage herself. Being a kunoichi was always guaranteed to a life of danger, and as much as they didn’t want to see their daughter subjected to it, they accepted a long time ago that Sakura’s life would be fraught with risk, something Sakura herself had known from her first day in the Academy to the earth-shattering reality check that had come with their first real mission in the Land of Waves that opened up her eyes to the tragedy of shinobi life.

“You’re my daughter. It’s to be expected that you’re going to give it your all to save that poor Uchiha boy,” Mebuki said conversationally as she rose towards the cooking range and began dishing out bowls of plain jasmine rice and curry atop it, even Sakura unable to help how her mouth watered at the scent of her mother’s cooking. “That, and undertaking this training you want to with Lady Tsunade. I’m going to worry, but I’m your mother. Even then I’m going to believe in you with every inch of my soul.”

Setting the bowls between them, Sakura flushed happily at her mother’s acceptance. This earned a sedated chuckle from her father. “This is why I married you, Mebu-chan. But, we’re all in agreement, aren’t we?” With a grin, he trained his chopsticks towards Sakura. “Don’t think that just because I’m not one of the Sannin that I can’t help with your training like we used to. Try not to leave your old man behind, hm?”

Mebuki chuckled. “And I’m still a teacher. You got your smarts from me, so don’t underestimate my ability to help you, either!” she enthused with a hearty clap on Kizashi’s shoulder, her husband gasping from the sudden assault.

Overwhelmed by her parents vote of support, Sakura sat up sharply and bowed formally to them both. “Mom, dad… thank you so much! I promise I’ll do my best!”

“You don’t have to make any kinds of promises, sweetie. You have our support, no matter what.”

* * *

“Y-You want to train with me, S-Sakura-chan?”

That next morning, after coming from Tsunade’s office and being accepted as her disciple, Sakura had a few more errands to run.

“Yep, sure do. You know… you really inspired me during the Chūnin Exams, when you held your own against you cousin like that. I really hope this isn’t prying in too deeply, Hinata-chan, but I feel like we have being the underdog in common. You’re someone I want to grow strong with.”

Seated on the terrace outside of a chic new cafe within town, the atmosphere was still somewhat morose in the wake of the Sandaime Hokage’s death. Many people avoided frivolous activities aside from going to work or attending to shinobi matters, which meant the cafe they were at was partially closed in this new state of mourning. Still, it was spring and the air was sweet, the promise of hanami season buzzing excitedly in the mind of every villager. For Sakura, too, it was an exciting season due to her birthday looming so closely. Thirteen years was a large milestone for any child, and Sakura felt accomplished that she was beginning that period the right way.

It was like Naruto said. She was going to become a strong kunoichi in her _own_ way and catch up to her friends so she wouldn’t have to stare at their backs anymore; to protect them instead of the inverse.

“Y-Your battle with Ino-san was really inspiring, too, Sakura-chan!” Hinata blurted out in a fit of blushing, ducking her head when one of the barista inside the cafe poked their head out curiously, wondering what the brief commotion was. “Um… sorry. I-I guess what I’m trying to say is, um… I’d really like to be your friend, too.”

Sakura couldn’t help but glow happily at the thought of that, nibbling at her mitsurashi dango. Once upon a time, Sakura had genuinely thought that Hinata was something of a princess. Being the main branch heiress of one of the Four Noble Clans of Konoha, with old Hiden and kekkei genkai, she was everything Sakura desperately wished she was. Until, the Chūnin Exams had stripped the wool from her eyes and revealed the truth: Hinata didn’t have it any easier just because of her clan, and if anything, she had it far harder. She’d been born with enormous pressure facing her, and as far as Sakura knew, her troubled past with Neji was only the beginning of it all. Though, she didn’t feel entitled to Hinata’s secrets, she hoped that befriending her could see her open up more.

And, perhaps the most presumptuous of it all, was the idea that she could be for Hinata what Ino was to her. Even if Sakura had wanted to escape from the Yamanaka’s shadow, she knew now that Ino’s intention hadn’t been to smother her. Their rivalry over Sasuke had just been an inciting excuse, after all.

“Oh, Sakura-chan, I almost forgot to mention: Kurenai-sensei wants to see you. She s-says it’s kind of important,” Hinata piped up tentatively, smiling shyly at the older girl.

“Huh? Did she say what it’s about?”

“U-Um, it has to do with your fight with I-Ino-chan. Kakashi-sensei mentioned that y-you’re a genjutsu type, and she wants to train you.”

Now it was Sakura’s turn to fluster happily, not used to having someone take notice of her talent since their days at the Academy. Exuberantly, she took Hinata’s hands that elicited a red blush from the younger girl.

“This means we’ll really get to train together, Hinata-chan! Isn’t this great?” Sakura bubbled over with excitement, finally feeling as though she was making a breakthrough that she hadn’t in the past year since becoming a genin. Being surrounded by so many powerful people made her aware of how much she lacked in ability, but at the same time, it made her reconsider how much she actually knew and the lack of time she had to really utilize it.

“Mhm!” Hinata hummed in agreement, already through her sixth stick of dango. “W-We could probably train with the other rookies,” she suggested softly, Sakura leaning in with interest. “L-Like Tenten, or Lee, and I-Ino, too.”

“Huh, that’s actually a really good idea,” Sakura conceded with a look of consideration, wondering how much she resembled her father then and there. “Tenten especially. She’s awesome with bukijutsu, and I was told one of my better areas is shurikenjutsu. I wonder how she’d take to training with me…”

Though another question was suspended loudly in the air, Sakura knew better than to bring it up. Even if the older Hyūga had a change of heart, she couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the idea of even broaching the subject, yet alone the notion of training with him. The older boy never even gave her the time of day when they first met in the entry day of the Chūnin Exams, let alone at the Academy where he was in a class above due to his skill and age. In fact, given Hinata’s troubles with him despite his seeming change of heart, Sakura supposed it was better to forgo the idea altogether.

“M-Maybe we could form a kind of… training club together,” Hinata thought aloud, glancing sidelong. “O-Only if you want, of course, Sakura-chan…”

“That’s not a bad idea, Hinata-chan. Maybe Kurenai-sensei could be our de-facto leader,” Sakura added with a brief snicker. “Hm, it’d be Team 10, Team 8, Team Guy… not really Team 7 since I’m the only one left.” Sakura made a brief face at that.

“W-We could always consider it for later,” Hinata chimed in, growing noticeably more comfortable, and dare Sakura say it, a little more confident.

“That’s true. We have a long time ahead of us, right? Still,” she paused as she offered her hand towards Hinata, all but her fore- and index fingers folded in the seal of reconciliation, “let’s shake on it. To us being… the future coolest kunoichi in the village!”

Hinata giggled at the appellation, but it was more out of giddiness than the ridiculousness of it. She took Sakura's two fingers with her hand, both pumping their hands in resolve.

“T-To the future coolest kunoichi, y-yes!”


	2. Chapter 2

Warning(s): T, none

* * *

When Sakura awoke next morning, it was to the thumping staccato of Mebuki’s rapid ascent up the stairs that shocked her from her sleepy daze, sitting bolt upright in bed. The woman all but slammed her door open, smacking against the nearest wall.

“Sakura, there’s a message for you, but the messenger won’t let anyone but you see it!” In a lapsed moment, Mebuki broke out into an excited smile. “It’s from Lady Fifth!”

“Lady Fifth?” Sakura echoed loudly, Mebuki clapping her hands together once. “Mom, can you tell them I’ll be down in a minute? I need to get dressed!”

Though Sakura was loathe to be without a morning shower, she settled for raking a comb through her short hair and changing into her trousers and red, qipao dress that was the norm for her. Though she neglected with putting on her hitae-ate, it felt needless when she likely wasn’t even going to be leaving the village. The girl lingered at her vanity and on the maroon ribbon Ino had recently gifted back to her for her recent birthday, not long after the preliminaries and the Sasuke Rescue Mission, time she’d been grateful for. Even if she’d hated being unable to do anything to help, it wouldn’t be that way any longer.

Neatly did she fasten it near her nape, not unlike how she wore her hitae-ate, feeling a new sense of conviction flourish before she disappeared from her room and down to the small kitchen where her mother waited.

“Go on, Sakura!” Mebuki urged as she opened the door for Sakura, nudging her daughter through.

“Biyu!”

_A… pig?_ Sakura blinked in bemusement, but was receptive all the same.

“Biyu, biyu!” _This message is for you!_

‘Huh? Oh, thank you. What’s your name?” Sakura said, Mebuki looking on in confusion as her daughter was able to somehow understand the swine.

“Biyu!” _Tonton!_

“Mom, her name is Tonton, isn’t that cute?” Sakura quipped over her shoulder; her mother grinned back, though Tonton swiftly stamped her hoof and pointedly made a show of the letter affixed to her back. “Oh, sorry! Before you go, take this. I’ll see you later, Tonton-chan.”

As Sakura removed the letter and handed Tonton a candy the pig gladly snatched up, as she trotted away did the kunoichi’s heart climb into her throat. Apprehension colored how she delicately turned the letter over and peeled open the wax stamp, wondering what it was her new teacher could possibly want. Or, if it was something else altogether…

_Miss_ _Sakura_ _Haruno_ _,_

_In lieu of your apprenticeship to Lady Tsunade, she has humbly requested that you pass a single test to confirm your newfound status. She’d like it if you demonstrated a unique ability that hasn’t been conducted before, or to invent a new ability, potion, or jutsu by tomorrow morning. You will be required to appear at Lady Tsunade’s office by 8 AM tomorrow to unveil it. Best of luck!_

_Shizune Katō_

_Assistant to the Godaime Hokage_

Sakura felt her heart climb into her throat, a miserable shiver running down her spine as she dashed inside before a passersby could see the tremor that had taken to her skin, Mebuki immediately looking concerned as she slammed the door shut behind her.

“Honey, what’s wrong? What is it?” Mebuki asked with a furrowed brow, taking Sakura by her shoulder so she could look at her daughter, seeing her shiver and a steeliness in her eyes of threatening tears.

“I— I asked Lady Fifth to take me on as an apprentice _because_ I don’t know enough, mom! But, she wants me to invent something new to prove myself worthy of being her apprentice, but— I don’t have anything!”

Mebuki sighed loudly as she folded her arms thoughtfully, glancing out the window at Hokage Rock they could see from the kitchen. But, the contemplative mire hardly lasted long until she turned with a conspiratorial wink at Sakura. “Well, if anyone is expecting you to fail, they really picked the wrong girl, hm? Sakura, go upstairs and shower, and I’ll make you your favorite for breakfast. Nobody said you have to do this alone, right?”

Feeling as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders, Sakura smiled gratefully before racing upstairs to begin running the tap for her shower, and the warm bath that would follow.

After she showered under the warm spray and completely rejuvenated herself, when it came time to soak in the tub, in the murky, steamy water did she feel considerably calmer. Gathering her knees to her chest, Sakura mulled over her options.

Though Inner Sakura was certainly unique enough, she didn’t know how to begin demonstrating her. It had only become something more during the Chūnin Exams when she’d somehow managed to expel Ino from her mind, a feat she still didn’t have the faintest idea on how to replicate. That, and much of her had hoped a genjutsu expert like Kurenai could lend some insight since all Sakura could deduce was that it had likely been a Yin Release construct.

Hell, Sakura didn’t even know what chakra natures she had, or if she possessed any at all!

Feeling her pulse quicken in her chest, she tried to calm herself. What _did_ she know? As a baseline, her grades in almost every class had been exemplary. Maybe she could write some thesis paper on an unexplored subject? Except, those could take days to find a subject, let alone foot all the research! Her skill with Shurikenjutsu was above-average, but what did that mean to one of the _Sannin?_ And sure, her chakra control was almost perfect, but chakra control wasn’t an ability unto itself.

_Dammit, Haruno, think!_

‘ _Yeah, and then, Granny Tsunade used this kinda jutsu that made her seal let out some kinda chakra that healed her right away!’_

‘ _Y’know, she’s faking her looks, right? It’s a transformation technique, but I dunno how she keeps it up. She’s actually ancient, pretending to look young.’_

Naruto’s gregarious voice resounded through her mind with the clarity of a bell, Sakura drawing back in realization. _That’s it._ If she was going to be Tsunade’s apprentice, wouldn’t it make sense to try and duplicate one of her techniques? Although Sakura knew only the basics when it came to Fūinjutsu, how hard could it be to make a seal that wasn’t on a scroll? She’d seen it before, and knew that the seal the Hokage used on her forehead couldn’t be the only one of its kind out there.

With a plan now in mind, Sakura raced to towel herself off and blow-dry her hair, pulling it into a stumpy ponytail after she’d changed back into her clothes. Rummaging through one of her dresser drawers, she leafed through a photo album and found exactly the photo she was looking for: one from last year’s Tanabata Festival, where she’d been clad in an expensive kimono and accessories and some makeup, which she felt drawn to; it was the perfect medium for what she had in mind.

“Mom, I know what to do!” Sakura blurted as she charged down the stairs, barreling into the kitchen just as Mebuki had finished setting the table for two. As it was a Saturday, Mebuki didn’t have classes to teach at the local civilian elementary school while Kizashi was preoccupied with the missions he typically undertook as a Genin.

“You do?” Mebuki perked as she sat herself down, leaning in with interest.

Without any more hesitation, Sakura explained her plan in depth between bird-like bites of her food, trying to be mindful of the diet Ino and she were trying to keep tabs on. Of course, her mother wasn’t much different in that regard; they both ate light, where they could.

“Thing is, what’s going to take me longer is trying to create this seal. I don’t think there’s any manuals out there about how to form seals on people’s bodies that aren’t just ink scripts, but if Tsunade-sama’s seal is anything to go by, I bet it has something to do with concentrating chakra. She’s the world’s greatest med-nin, right? That takes a refined chakra control, but if her seal is just accumulated chakra, isn’t it the same principle? This way, she’ll have to be convinced that I’m a good pick as an apprentice!”

Mebuki spooned a piece of cantaloupe into her mouth, smiling dreamily. “See? I knew you could do it. And since your plan takes an assistant, I’ll be around since all I’m doing is grading papers.” The blonde couldn’t help but pump her fist victoriously. “Oh, that will show all those clan mothers that I’m not just some lowly little civilian! My daughter got chosen as Lady Tsunade’s apprentice. Hm, I can’t _wait_ to rub it in their faces.”

At that, Sakura felt her own enthusiasm deflate a little. It wasn’t that she resented her mother, but sometimes, she felt as though there was a wall dividing them. A barrier erected because Mebuki cared about her own self-image more than she let on, passing on such an inferiority complex despite never being aware of its existence or denying it altogether. It was part of the reason that broke up Sakura’s friendship with Ino in the first place, despite there being a good enough of a motive.

That gnawing, cold sensation of never being good enough in a village where so much relied on elite bloodlines and power affected them acutely, especially when her own mother flunked out of the Academy due to disinterest, and her own father never rose above the rank of genin. She couldn’t help but notice the ways her mother tried to compensate for that difference now that it was too late to try again, even though Sakura didn’t want to blame her for it.

Still, it felt as though Mebuki was more excited by the prestige her being Tsunade’s apprentice would bring, not happy for what it meant to Sakura personally.

“Um… I’m going to try and create this seal, so I’m going to need a lot of time to concentrate,” Sakura said half-heartedly as she scooted out from the table to ascend the stairs again, excusing herself without another word.

“Oh, alright, hun. Let me know if you need anything,” Mebuki called obliviously after her, likely off to begin her own work after doing dishes.

Shutting the door to her room, Sakura opened the sliding glass door to her small balcony, closed it, and sank down to its surface to begin her work to the comfortable drone of the busy din of foot traffic and passersby of the small side street below.

* * *

By the time she’d managed to work out a conceivable process, it was well past noon with the shade of her balcony’s balustrade diminishing much faster than Sakura had anticipated, surrounded by a few notebooks and crumpled wads of paper she’d scrawled furiously upon as she’d planned her methodology and discarding the obvious ones that bore no use.

Sakura was genuinely exhausted, lathered in sweat from exertion of her efforts and the growing, unseasonably warm weather and beating sunlight, and feeling irritable because of the latter factors. Yet, she was close. So, _so_ close.

In fact, the girl nearly hollered when the single petal of chakra she’d been concentrating her chakra on finally bloomed into a fully-realized cherry blossom symbol colored a delicate pink. Her teal eyes were peeled and transfixed on the single point, as a refreshing wash of chakra cascaded over her, the kunoichi bolted upright and ran headlong into her room.

Except, she tripped and fell into her bed, marveling at the very notion.

Tripping because of what she was now _wearing_.

Sakura scrambled upright and availed herself in her full-length mirror by the sliding screen door, at the vision of a younger girl clad in all her Tanabata finery, an inch and a half shorter like she’d been the year before.

“It worked!” Sakura crowed happily, mind in a tizzy before she remembered herself and dove back outside for the notebook she’d been writing it, flipping through the pages and finding the data tree that had been the start of the process and finishing it off, tearing out the few pages it’d been scrawled on and leaving them on her desk.

She then stared at the seal on her hand, practically dizzy in the wake of her success.

From what she’d learned, the amount of chakra gathered and what was needed to maintain the seal meant there was enough chakra concentrated to last at least an hour or two before it and the jutsu programmed into it would fade, but considering the fact that it had only been developed in the last half day, she was convinced that it was enough to impress the Hokage herself, one of the legendary Sannin.

Letting the transformation disappear in a puff of smoke, Sakura knew it was finally time, heart thumping as she proceeded down the stairs in a pall of nervous energy. In the kitchen, Mebuki was bowed over the bistro table with piles of papers she was going through and grading, almost finished by the look of it. Yet, when she scented the air for a moment, her nose wrinkled and she grimaced until she realized what the source was.

“Oh, Sakura, I was wondering what that was. How did things go?” she queried with a softened expression, Sakura a little less mortified at her state of exertion by then.

“I figured it out, mom. Can we try it?”

She smiled while taking off her reading glasses. “I don’t see why not. Will it hurt?” she asked with a bit of a wry smirk.

“It shouldn’t! It didn’t when I used it on myself, at least.”

Without another word, the pair went to the couch in the adjacent living room, Sakura used the release hand seal after taking Mebuki’s hand, imagining the pool of chakra in her mind flowing into her mother’s hand, concentrating at the palm. Given that she’d only need to have her mother sustain the transformation for a few minutes, the amount of chakra she poured into the point was significantly less, admittedly impressed with herself at how refined the technique had become.

“It… looks like a cherry blossom petal,” Mebuki observed a minute later, Sakura removing her hand from her mother’s wrist.

“I thought it was fitting,” Sakura said with a brief smile, before her brow puckered in concentration.

Then, she used the release hand sign, followed by the sequential ones for the transformation technique. Sakura watched intently as the cherry blossom petal she’d marked on her mother’s wrist flickered once until a full configuration of a cherry blossom bloomed thence and Mebuki was briefly consumed in a puff of smoke.

Coughing, her mother waved the fumes away, but Sakura couldn’t help but stare.

It was exactly the same transformation she’d made of herself, like looking into a mirror. Though it was distinctly her mother’s voice, it was like looking into the past. Noting Sakura’s transfixed look, Mebuki glanced first at the blossomed seal on her palm, then rose from the couch to stride towards a hallway mirror situated by the stairs in the small foyer.

“Hm, not bad. Oh, you looked so cute in this kimono last year! This is only giving me inspiration to buy you a new one so you’ll look even cuter when hanami season starts,” Mebuki mused as she turned in the mirror a few times, the minutes passing until the transformation faded completely. “One that will definitely scream ‘Tsunade’s cute little apprentice’. What do you think?”

“That sounds good,” Sakura said lamely, mustering a half-smile.

“Oh, to think, you invented this fūinjutsu on your own! The others won’t believe it until they see it, but once Lady Fifth catches a load of it, her socks will be knocked off. Why don’t we go out for dinner tomorrow? To celebrate once you’re done?” Mebuki rambled as she returned to the couch, enthusiasm abounding.

“That sounds nice, mom. But… can I get something to eat? I haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I’m starving!”

* * *

The morning after came with so much apprehension, Sakura arose a good half hour before her alarm that was set to go off at 6 AM. Tossing off her sheets, she readied herself quickly and descended into the kitchen where her mother was waiting. Hastily, she supped on tamagoyaki and miso soup, unable to stomach anything else.

“Now, are you ready, Sakura?” Mebuki asked as she fussed over Sakura’s hair, tying her hitae-ate as Sakura usually wore it. Though she tended not to wear it outside of situations that demanded it, it felt like a formality that was best heeded then and there.

“I think so,” Sakura replied with resolve, huffing a small breath. In the time between preparing and the present moment, she couldn’t help but be bitten with a slight apprehension. What if it wasn’t impressive enough? What if she messed up, or channeled the wrong amount of chakra? These thoughts plagued her, but as the pair of them readied themselves for the morning—with Mebuki preparing for a day of teaching—she knew there was really no going back.

With her notes in her pocket that she’d revised and agonized over the night before, she only hoped it would be satisfactory enough for the Hokage herself to take her on as an apprentice. There were worse things than a test, right?

_Like being used as a new flesh bag for a real creep,_ Inner Sakura quipped, Sakura shuddering in revulsion.

After both Haruno said their good-byes, Mebuki informed her that Kizashi would likely be home regardless of the outcome, and Sakura swore she could sag in relief. If there was anyone she felt she could really depend on, it was him. He’d been instrumental in helping her train during her Academy years, and tended to be much less dramatic about any of her failures than her mother. Let alone being someone who took her own shortcomings as personal failures that dented her standing in her performative social circles.

The walk to the Academy was within short distance, the larger streets in Konoha just beginning to awaken and prepare for the day ahead. Sakura spied many people on foot and bicycles transporting supplies for their places of work, the young kunoichi careful to dodge around those that were and stick close to the sides of the street. The dawn, she had to admit, was earnestly beautiful to behold. A baby blue sky rose from a gradient of an awakening sun, pastel-colored clouds sculled sparsely. With the temperatures still mild for the season, Sakura had a distinct feeling that it would be a beautiful day.

Upon coming to the Administrative Division of the Academy, when Sakura presented a guest pass to the Anbu guarding the rear entrance, she was let in without much difficulty. Though, when she came to the single curving corridor that swept towards the office proper, she mustered the courage to finally rap her knuckles on the door itself.

“Come in,” a tired voice greeted, and Sakura could tell right away that it was Shizune, which sent a wave of relief through her. After all, it felt like it would’ve been a fraudulent demonstration if the other woman weren’t there.

“It’s five minutes before eight. That’s good, Sakura-chan. You're punctual.” At the other voice that spoke, Sakura’s spine immediately straightened reflexively, but she didn’t allow her knees to lock up.

She couldn’t help but be a little awestruck of the Hokage. Transformation technique or no, even if it was just Tsunade as she’d looked once, the Senju was absolutely beautiful. With a physique and face to envy, she couldn’t help but feel tremendously plain in comparison, even if it was an unfair foil. Even if Tsunade really had been only twenty, it was a long shot to contrast to a girl who had just turned thirteen.

Now wasn’t the time to indulge on her frivolous insecurities, Sakura thought.

“Lady Fifth, Katō-san,” Sakura greeted with respectful bows towards both women. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything, but… I’d like to commence with the test, if that’s okay.”

“No small talk, hm?” Tsunade quipped with a quirk of her brow, a small smirk alighting to her ruby lips. “Sakura-chan, do you need anything for your test?”

“Just Katō-san, Lady Fifth,” Sakura replied politely, Shizune glancing at the Hokage who nodded in assent. “It won’t hurt, Katō-san. I tested it a few times already on myself and my mom without a hitch.”

“I don’t see why not. But, Sakura-chan, please just call me Shizune-san. Using my surname makes me feel a little antiquated,” the brunette said with an awkward smile. In a way, she almost reminded Sakura of Kakashi-sensei, if she was a little honest.

“Oh, right. Sorry, Shizune-san!”

Without wasting another moment, Shizune stood by Sakura, Tsunade watching them both intently. In that moment, Sakura decided to set the amount of time to be no more than ten minutes for the sake of the test. Thankfully, Shizune seemed compliant enough, unflinching as Sakura took the older woman’s wrist.

Inhaling a steady breath, Sakura formed the single seal she needed as she began concentrating her chakra, then flowing it through her hand and into Shizune’s wrist, concentrating it at a point. The brunette’s eyes flew open in surprise as she felt the foreign chakra, but Sakura didn’t let it deter her even as her heart thudded hard against her sternum. Careful to augment the chakra with the programmed jutsu, Shizune became motionless as the small seal formed on her palm, Tsunade absolutely riveted on the sight of it.

Stepping away, Sakura then signed the necessary hand seals for the transformation technique, Tsunade’s mouth slightly ajar as the single petal seal suddenly flowered and Shizune became engulfed in a puff of smoke, transforming into Sakura in her Tanabata outfit from a year ago, exactly as Sakura’s mother had just the day before.

Thence, a long pall of stunned silence reigned, Tsunade’s amber eyes intense upon the pair of them. Feeling herself squirm beneath the blonde’s scrutiny, Sakura fumbled in her back pocket for her notes, unfolding them and sliding them on Tsunade’s desk.

“Um… the technique will only last ten minutes, Shizune-san. So, don’t worry about it lasting or anything,” Sakura assured the woman who had then become her double, glancing over the furisode she was now clad in.

Tsunade studied Sakura’s notes intently, glancing up from them at the girl. “Sakura, you’re missing a very important component. Come here.” Sakura blanched at the beckon, even if Tsunade didn’t sound displeased. Finding the relevant page, Tsunade tapped a lacquered nail on it. “There’s no mention here of the Chakra Transfer Technique you used.”

Sakura gazed at Tsunade in confusion. “Chakra… transfer—?”

The Hokage smiled indulgently. “It’s how you transferred the chakra to Shizune to create the seal. I’m not quite sure how you learned it, since I learned it from my grandfather through techniques he has inscribed, but… it’s very impressive, to say the least.”

Sakura could only frown at that, finding the page Tsunade indicated and skimming it. “Um, Lady Fifth… no one ever taught me it. I’m not really sure how I did it, if I’m honest.”

Tsunade’s thin eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You were never taught it?” Leaning back in her chair, she began chuckling to herself. “My grandfather was never taught how to, either. He simply just knew it one day, or so my granduncle told me. Hm…”

Standing up, Tsunade stood at the window of the stunning vantage of the urban sprawl before them, folding her arms thoughtfully. “I’ll be honest with you, Sakura-chan, I never meant for this test to be taken seriously. I just wanted to see what you would do. In fact, what I saw in your eyes that day _was_ your test, and you passed that with flying colors.” A secretive smile spanned her lips as she turned towards them both. “Yet, in only a day, you not only reverse engineered a variant of my Yin Seal, but managed to teach yourself how to master the Chakra Transfer Technique without knowing what it was and code that seal with a precise amount of chakra to last a certain duration, with very specific jutsu programmed into it. You’re a genius of hard work and adaptation, and if I didn’t have mountains of paper work to worry about, I’d haul you away to train, Sakura-chan. This is the most excited I’ve been training anyone since Shizune.”

Sakura couldn’t help but feel herself glow under the Hokage’s praise, a happy blush coloring her cheeks. Even though she felt relieved that the test had been something of a fluke, the fact that she’d impressed _Tsunade Senju_ of all people made her mind race a mile a minute. While her mind blanked for a moment, Tsunade leafed through a filing cabinet by her desk and wrote down what appeared to be a call number.

“Unfortunately, I’ll be too busy to train you today, but I want you to look up this book. Additionally, I’m going to ask you to keep detailed notes on your training, Sakura-chan. That means transcribing the technique you developed here today, but with the addition of the Chakra Transfer Technique. I’ll send Tonton over later today with an outline regarding it, and a schedule for your training sessions with Shizune and myself.”

So much of this was barely sinking in, but already was Sakura bursting with excitement. If she did well with this, who knew what else she could accomplish? Compared to her lack of development while overlooked by her team mates, she felt as though she’d leapt at least ten places ahead in the game of life.

“Y-Yes, Lady Fifth! I’ll do my best!”

“And Sakura-chan?” Tsunade asked with a glance over her shoulder, smirking at her new apprentice’s enthusiasm. “Call me Tsunade-shisō from here on out.”

“Yes, Tsunade-shisō!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, this chapter wound up being a _lot_ longer than I intended, but it felt necessary for the plot. For those wondering the [technique](https://amitds.tumblr.com/post/617942387718815744/so-if-i-am-understanding-correctly-this-trap) Sakura came up with is a canon one from Sasuke Retsuden I thought made sense to include here. Since Sakura is apparently able to bestow seals on people on the fly in the context it's in, I thought it'd be a good segue to when she inevitably learns to store chakra for the Byakugo. That, and it's never shown how she learns the Chakra Transfer Technique, so why not let her know it due to having perfect chakra control?
> 
> Otherwise, that's it as far as this chapter go. The plot will really start to pick up from here for Saku!


	3. Chapter 3

Warning(s): T, abuse mentions

* * *

When Tsunade had suggested a reading list for Sakura to begin, she had no idea how enormous the body of study she’d be embarking on _really_ was. Thankfully, her new teacher was fair as she would promise to be grueling and strict, adivising that she read no less than one book a week. A talented shinobi had to be able to absorb and digest heaping amounts of information in shorter periods of time, but—she firmly reminded herself—this wasn’t some A-rank mission she was supposed to be doing. If Sakura relied on rote memorization alone, she could get through each book in an hour or less. But if she was going to become someone worthy of the position of being Tsunade’s disciple, simply memorizing everything would lead to catastrophic failure.

So, here she was, in the Konoha Library under the glare of bright florescent lights bowed over a table where she and a stack of books occupied, they her only company. But, she was fine with it. With a notebook open and already several pages in filled with columns of everything she was trying to retain, Sakura could almost block out the outside world. Nothing could come between her and ‘ _Native Botanical Species of the Land of Fire_ ’.

Except for a woman she hadn’t expected to see yet.

“Nose deep in a book already?” Kurenai quipped with a wry smile. Craning over to glimpse what Sakura was writing, her considering glance brightened. “I thought I might find you here. Coincidentally, this is a perfect place to begin our first lesson, Sakura-chan.”

 _F-First lesson?_ Inner Sakura stammered within her mind. _Is that even allowed?_

“I’m sorry if I’m a little out of it, Kurenai-sensei. I’ve been studying most of the morning,” Sakura apologized sheepishly as she mustered a smile back, carefully closing her book shut with a slip of paper to remember her place. Folding her hands demurely on her lap, she couldn’t help but study the older woman closer.

If she were honest, Sakura couldn’t help but feel plain compared to Kurenai and Tsunade. Transformation ability or not hiding her true age, Tsunade wasn’t known as the most beautiful kunoichi in the world for nothing. Kurenai, too, was her peer with such a level of beauty. Both able to maintain long hair without trouble, and wear makeup. Kurenai was the foremost genjutsu expert of the village, while Tsunade was the world’s strongest kunoichi and most talented med-nin. How did Sakura Haruno measure up to women like this?

“Please, don’t worry about it at all. Lady Fifth must be really putting you through your paces, but it’ll be worth it. I might not be as tough, but mastering genjutsu is nothing to laugh at. It’s just as grueling no matter how much you may be suited to it,” Kurenai began as she leaned in thoughtfully. “You already show some aptitude for it, as I saw during the Chūnin Exams. Could you tell me about this ‘Inner Sakura’ I’ve been hearing so much about?”

Sakura’s lips pursed, feeling a little foolish. She’d always just assumed that Inner Sakura was everything she never had the courage to say. Then and there, she felt like a small child being indulged by a skeptical adult over some ridiculous, _imaginary_ friend.

“I don’t really know, Kurenai-sensei,” Sakura admitted honestly, shame flowering hotly in her chest. “I never thought Inner Sakura was anything serious. Some inner consciousness, sure, but a separate manifestation? That has to be impossible. I bet I’m not the first person who ever overcame a mind-transfer technique. We’re only genin, so maybe—”

Kurenai gently raised a hand as a gesture to stop speaking. “I can understand if you see it that way, Sakura-chan, but even if Ino isn’t as strong as her father in the Yamanaka clan hiden, simply having a stronger will isn’t enough to counter it. You’re contending with another soul. You and Ino were equals during your preliminary match, so even if this can be easily explained, you shouldn’t have been able to resist her jutsu.” Sakura, cowed into silence, simply sat as Kurenai explained. “I have reason to believe you might have unknowingly created a separate entity in your psyche, and I suspect it might be a Yin release construct. Something that exists fairly independent of yourself that allowed you to repel Ino that day.”

Sakura’s mind boggled at what Kurenai was explaining to her. Inner Sakura was _real?_ It wasn’t just some inner narrator? The more Sakura thought about it, the more Kurenai seemed to be right. Why couldn’t it be the case? Every jutsu had to come from somewhere, and she doubted it was the first time in history that it had come from coincidence.

“At the very least, it probably means I have the Yin chakra nature, right?”

Kurenai smiled at Sakura’s fledgling acceptance. She then reached into a hidden pocket and produced what appeared to be a small, 7-faced die. Setting it on the table, she encouragingly slid it towards the girl who gingerly took it. “You’ve heard of chakra paper, right? Well, this is similar to it. Instead of finding just your chakra nature affinity, this allows you to find all of your chakra natures. Although,” she amended with a puckish wink, holding up her pointer finger, “this is something that’s supposed to be reserved for the Jōnin Exams, but I couldn’t help but make an exception for a new student of mine.”

Sakura smiled bashfully, but looked down at the die. “How do I get it to work, Kurenai-sensei? Do I just channel chakra into it like the leaf focus exercise we used to do at the Academy?”

“Mhm. Give it a shot, Sakura-chan.”

The girl needed no further encouragement as she held the die in her palm and channeled her chakra into it, feeling the small block of wood warm. Kurenai watched with visible interest as she did, drawing back while Sakura’s eyes were squeezed shut.

“Alright, that should be enough.” Eyes opened, Sakura let Kurenai take the die, the woman appraising it carefully before shock registered.

“Sakura-chan… this is incredible!” At the sudden exclamation, she held out the die for Sakura to properly see. “From the looks of it, not only do you possess Yin and Yang, but also Earth, Water, _and_ Fire. The only two you don’t have are Lightning and Wind.”

Enraptured by the die, Sakura studied the faces. Each one that had been filled in with color seemed to denote a reaction; black for Yin, white for Yang, brown for Earth, blue for Water, and red for Fire. Part of her wondered if it was even real, if it was possible. She was harboring this kind of ability all along? Another facet of her felt like it wasn’t even real, but she couldn’t help but smile.

“Jōnin usually have two chakra natures, right?” Sakura ventured excitedly, to which Kurenai enthusiastically nodded. “Hm… I wonder if I could get anyone to try and teach me? I’ve never used elemental ninjutsu before.”

“I don’t think I could help with that, unfortunately,” Kurenai said with an apologetic smile. “However, even if you could only find someone with one nature chakra transformation, it would facilitate the ability to learn others. The method is the same when learning to master chakra natures, after all.”

“There is someone. My dad is only a genin, but he has earth release. Maybe he could teach me,” Sakura speculated, knowing that it would likely be her course of action. That, or if Kakashi wasn’t so preoccupied, she supposed he knew enough. Although… part of her decided against it. She felt alienated from the man as it was, anyways.

“Hinata might be able to train you in that, a bit. She has lightning and fire elements, herself,” Kurenai suggested, but at the mention of Hinata, Sakura couldn’t help but quiet.

“Kurenai-sensei… has Hinata-chan been okay? Ever since the preliminaries, I can’t stop thinking about everything Neji said about her. I guess you could say I’m a little worried since she’s my friend.”

Kurenai grew silent at the mention of Hinata, glancing sidelong until she looked at Sakura earnestly, matching gazes unflinchingly. “She’s been living with me these past few years, Sakura-chan,” Kurenai said without hesitating. “After she lost to her little sister, Hiashi disowned her. Of course, she has Byakugan and is his daughter by blood, so she’s still legally a Hyūga. If that weren’t an obstacle, I would’ve adopted her in a heartbeat. …If it weren’t for the fact that he’s the head of the most powerful clan in Konoha and one of the village’s most valuable shinobi, well—I can’t say what I’d do. Nothing good, I think, for everything he’s put that poor girl through. Hinata, and her sister.”

A vexed expression crossed Kurenai’s features, ruby lips pursed. “Not that I care what the law says. Hinata’s my daughter, and no one can take that away from me. I’ll be damned before I let that bastard near that girl again.”

Sakura couldn’t help but be taken aback a little, but also full of admiration for her sensei’s strength. Although she didn’t personally know Hiashi, what she did was that he was a tower of a man, indomitable as a fortress. Someone like him could easily scare her witless, but that image of him crumbled now. At the very least, what might have been intimidation was becoming quickly surmounted by indignant anger over the past of her friend.

“Maybe… if I can train with Inner Sakura enough, she could hold him while you punched,” Sakura ventured with a wan smile, as Kurenai’s disgruntled expression dissolved as both burst into badly muffled laughter.

“I was already motivated to help you get a handle on it, but I think you just gave me an extra incentive,” Kurenai said while she wiped a mirthful tear from the corner of her eye. “I’m glad she has someone like you in your corner, Sakura-chan. I want nothing more than to see that girl smile without a care in the world. I wonder if you want the same thing.”

“I do, really,” Sakura replied earnestly, both at a lapse.

“Hm, alright then. What can you tell me about genjutsu, Sakura-chan?”

Sakura straightened, but not rigidly. “Genjutsu is where you affect the target’s chakra system and disrupt it, where the user can then create illusions or physical sensations in their body to cause some kind of distraction or psychological effect,” she answered instantly without skipping a beat.

“Good, good. From what I hear, you already are quite gifted at dispelling genjutsu in yourself and others, and you can recognize it, too. Though, have you ever cast your own genjutsu?”

“No, I haven’t,” Sakura replied honestly. “Kakashi-sensei said I’m a genjutsu type, but I never learned how to create my own.”

“Which is exactly what we’re here for. And we’re going to use this for practice.” From one of her kunai holsters did the woman produce a kunai and set it on the table before them. “I want you to utilize this as a medium. Make me see a potted plant instead of a kunai. Are you ready to try, Sakura-chan?”

Sakura nodded and took in a steadying breath. While she was able to dispel genjutsu, actually creating illusions was something else altogether. In order to do so, the method took one of two means: creating a field for the illusion, or by targeting someone directly. Fūinjutsu that could have genjutsu sealed in scrolls or even pills that were the medium, while paper seals that activated in the case of something like a trespass dealt with the field. And since she only had to worry about Kurenai…

Having met the woman’s eye once, Sakura concentrated and tapped into her newfound discovery for yin release, imagining in her mind’s eye what she wanted to construct. Distantly, she couldn’t help but remember a flower arrangement made in one the kunoichi-centered classes at the Academy and how important it was to learn. Of how it was one of the first times she felt proud of herself for something made with her own hands, shortly after Ino had taken her under the younger girl’s wing.

Gradually, the very kunai seemed to morph and misshape, bending and twisting as she concentrated on the genjutsu she was trying to create, to get the details exactly. Within a minute, the flower arrangement she’d envisioned stood in place of the kunai, just then remembering to blink so her eyes wouldn’t dry out.

Kurenai’s look of concentration as she studied the construct became one of pride as she smiled at the young teen. “Excellent job, Sakura-chan. It seems I was right about you.” Carefully, she rose from the seat she’d taken across from the genin and pushed it back in. “We’ve made a lot of progress today, and I’m proud of you. In fact, I’d like to train you properly at the Third Training Dōjō across the street from the Academy. Does two days from now at 8 AM sound good to you?”

Sakura felt the same kind of elation as she had from just the other day when she’d figured out the mechanics of the Cherry Blossom Seal, almost unable to contain her excitement. Once again, she was forging her own path to becoming a great kunoichi under the wing of a woman as accomplished as Kurenai was.

“Y-Yes, it sounds perfect, Kurenai-sensei!”

Now, she could say the title with real relish, excited for what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For anyone wondering where the inclusion of Sakura having fire release came from, it's actually [quite canon!](https://twitter.com/ytamanotwt/status/1172497284086452225) It's from the Sasuke Retsuden novel, and since the databooks never explain over how long a time Sakura or anyone else attains their nature releases, who's to say it didn't happen at once, but were underdeveloped? Sakura will definitely utilize hers, that much is certain.


	4. Chapter 4

Warning(s): G, none

* * *

Sakura stood before her mirror that morning availing her handiwork, scrutinizing every detail carefully.

As the new disciple of Lady Fifth, she knew she had to meet a certain standard and not only conduct herself with a certain level of decorum and respect and willingness to work hard, she had to look the part, too. And by the Cherry Blossom Seal that stood pronounced on her forehead, she wanted people to look at her and make the association with the blonde as to who she was and would be. And, as Sakura had discovered through some experimentation, she was able to improve upon the seal by siphoning a particular amount of chakra while the rest would be redirected into her own chakra reserves, especially if she relegated just a little too much. It was thanks to her perfect chakra control that she could manage it, and she wanted Tsunade to see it, too, without having to openly boast about it.

The reflection that stared intently back at her had clearer skin, a fresh complexion, shiny lips, bright jade eyes, that was enough to accentuate her appearance without looking like someone else altogether. Even her qipao dress looked a little lighter, and her hair was shinier, too. The cloth of her hitae-ate looked like satin, and the metal plate itself like polished silver. Thus far, she’d been able to keep the programmed transformation technique active while only having to barely concentrate on regulating the flow of chakra.

If this didn’t prove to Tsunade that she was more than capable as her apprentice, Sakura wasn’t sure what else she could really do. She wanted Tsunade to look at her and _know_ she chose well by accepting her.

As her mother was gone that morning to teach at the local civilian town the next town over, that left Sakura with much of the day to herself. And she planned to spend it wisely and find those she could train with. People that could become part of her _nakama_ , so to speak.

Locking up the house, Sakura knew exactly where she could go.

Yamanaka Flowers opened early, which suited Sakura perfectly. It wasn’t her first time at the flower shop, nor would it be her last, peering in through the glass door before pushing it open to the notice of a bell that rang gently.

“Oh, Sakura, I didn’t think you were coming here. Were you looking for—“ Ino’s words stopped short as she gazed at her friend with wide eyes, like a doe caught in the headlights. “Whoa, you look… pretty. What’s that thing on your forehead?”

Sakura couldn’t help but beam at her friend, flouncing over to the Yamanaka who skirted the counter to lean into her better. “It’s a seal I developed based on Tsunade-shisō’s. I can store chakra and program jutsu for it, and this one I based on her transformation technique. Neat, huh?” She couldn’t help but puff up with pride. Though ultimately vain, after recovering from the preliminaries and rekindling their friendship, the friendly rivalry they’d embarked on felt like it’d tipped a little in her favor this time.

“Oh, I see what you’re doing. Trying to impress Lady Fifth, huh?” Ino said with smirk. “Well, don’t get too comfortable, because when you least expect it, I’m going to create awesome jutsu that will knock even your socks off, Sakura-chan.” She folded her arms, look one of determination.

“That’s exactly what I want!” Sakura crowed excitedly at the blonde, clapping both hands on the younger kunoichi’s shoulders. Ino proceeded to look bemused. “Compared to the guys in our team, we’re practically overlooked. I’ve already got Hinata interested. We’re forming a nakama, got it? And we’re gonna make each other practically invincible!”

A smile slowly spanned across Ino’s features. “So—you, me, Hinata, but who else?”

Both girls looked thoughtful for a moment, all before they exclaimed in unison, “Tenten!”

With Ino preoccupied with work that morning, Sakura knew exactly where she needed to go.

* * *

The 3rd Training Ground was nearly identical to the one Kakashi had done the bell test with them on, and the one Team Gai tended to occupy. True to form, though Gai and Lee themselves were no where to be seen—probably running laps around the village or something equally ridiculous—Neji and Tenten were engrossed in their own training regimens. Neji with his Gentle Fist kata, and Tenten with her weapons training, a wooden dummy embed with a dizzying array of weaponry.

Admittedly, Sakura couldn’t help but falter a little. It wasn’t that she felt particularly intimidated by Team Gai, let alone the brunette herself, but she couldn’t help but feel as though Neji would particularly judgmental of her appearance. After all, focusing on one’s appearance was one of the biggest taboos any shinobi could engage in, even if women like Tsunade and Kurenai were in a class of their own and could get away with it. A mediocre genin like Sakura? …Not so much.

It didn’t take long for either of them to take notice of Sakura, Tenten the first to wave with a bright smile. It was Neji who glanced at her indifferently from the corner of his eye at first, all before he straightened with what could be perceived as interest. Feeling his scrutiny summoned a blush, Sakura electing to ignore it and trot towards the receptive bukijutsu expert.

“Hey there, Sakura-chan. What brings you here? Was Kakashi-sensei looking for Gai-sensei?” Tenten began pleasantly, leaning on the hilt of one of her massive broadswords casually.

Just as Sakura was poised to answer, Neji interrupted her.

“Since when were you able to concentrate chakra in specific areas in seals like Lady Fifth?” he asked without the slightest preamble.

Feeling a flush creep up her nape, Sakura faced the violet-eyed Hyuuga bravely. “Since Lady Fifth accepted me as her apprentice. It was a test she gave, and I managed to pass it in a day. I can also give these seals to other people, too, in case you were wondering.”

Neji barely seemed to react to what she said. “You’re using a similar transformation technique as her, too.”

“That’s right,” Sakura affirmed. “If I’m going to succeed as her disciple, I have to demonstrate the ability to not only adapt what she’ll teach me, but even improve or alter it. This is just the beginning, Neji-san.”

Sakura looked braver than she felt from gazing into those inscrutable violet eyes, almost like looking into vast field of white snow in winter. However, he seemed satisfied enough with her answer and moved away to resume his katas well from earshot.

“I bet he thinks you’re pretty cute.~” The moment the teasing lilt of Tenten’s voice sounded in her periphery, a dark blush sprung to Sakura’s cheeks so quickly she felt as though her jutsu would literally melt away.

“Wait, seriously?!” Sakura’s voice pitched, blush darkening until she forced her voice to a lower register. “Come on, Tenten-senpai, don’t pull my leg like that! Elite guys like him don’t look twice at boring civilian girls like me, anyways.” She huffed emphatically, folding her arms at the brunette.

Tenten couldn’t help but spare a laugh at her expense. “Sorry, sorry—but I’m really not joking. Trust me, I’ve known him long enough to know when he’s interested in someone, and, unusual füinjutsu or not, he wouldn’t have looked twice if he wasn’t the slightest bit interested. Besides, you caused a stir during the preliminaries. Lee and Naruto aren’t the only ones noticing how pretty you are, Sakura-chan.”

Even though Sakura knew that Tenten had the least motivation of anyone she knew to want to tease her spitefully, she genuinely couldn’t believe it. And sure—she wished she was confident enough to take what the older girl said at face value for what it was, but at that point in time, she just didn’t have it in her to think it was true. No matter who said it, the only person she’d be convinced in it from was herself.

“Sorry, Tenten-senpai, but… can we just change the subject, maybe?” Sakura asked miserably, unfolding her arms and finding herself unable to look in the older girl’s liquid brown eyes.

“Yeah, we can, but—you know I understand where you’re coming from, right? Being the ‘boring civilian’ of the group.” Sakura couldn’t help but perk up, gazing at Tenten hopefully. “You know, even Lee technically comes from a clan? Gai-sensei and his father are part of it, too, hence the resemblance to Lee. They’re a clan of spectacular taijutsu users, and it shows. But, people like me? No… my parents aren’t even shinobi. They thought I was crazy when I wanted to enroll in the Academy, but I made my way, somehow. I want to be like Lady Tsunade more than anything. Even if you technically beat me to it.”

Sakura couldn’t help but be taken aback, suddenly self-conscious of how self-centered and foolish she’d been. Here she was, complaining about not feeling pretty enough when she was doing what something like Tenten wished to. A boil of shame blistered the younger kunoichi, brow puckered and a frown evident.

“…I’m sorry, Tenten. Making this about me when it wasn’t even my intention in the first place,” Sakura said with a sigh. “Personally, I think you’re a really awesome kunoichi. Your battle against Temari-san was awesome, and you totally deserved a win.”

Tenten smiled in placation at that, but it was enough to let Sakura feel as though she hadn’t committed that bad of a blunder.

“Actually, what I wanted to ask you was if you wanted to join a kind of… nakama, but for us girls. Including me, we have Hinata and Ino, and I want to ask Kurenai-sensei if she’d kind of be our captain, maybe. It’s a little silly, but I don’t think we deserve to be left behind by the boys any more,” Sakura said with conviction, to which the brunette responded with a grin.

“Hm, well… let’s see. This way, we’d have a genjutsu-type, a taijutsu genius, a mind-hacker, and I guess it makes sense if you’d have a weapons master… Guess I have no choice but to say yes!” came Tenten’s chipper reply, pumping a fist in the air. “Besides, I’ve always wanted something like this. Imagine if Lady Fifth sent us on missions together…”

“Wouldn’t that be kind of unfair? You’d steal the spotlight with how cool you are, Tenten-senpai!” Sakura teased back, ribbing the older girl.

“I guess we’ll just have to go on some mission and see for ourselves, huh?”

* * *

With a sense of accomplishment at scoring the people she’d intended, Sakura returned home in a flurry of excitement at what was to come with her new team. Shutting the door behind her in the kitchen, she discovered that she was still alone due to her father likely out on any number of missions. In the hallway mirror hung on a whitewash wall within the small foyer, she couldn’t help but inspect her appearance.

Already with it being half past noon, she’d maintained the seal thus far for the past four and a half hours, at least. Whether she could consider it an accomplishment or not, Sakura couldn’t say, but she was determined to keep it going for as long as she could.

It was roughly ten minutes later when Sakura had been snacking on some dried fruit after a lunch of steamed vegetables and rice that a knock came to the door. Abandoning the table she’d been studying one of the assigned books she was supposed to be reading, from the small kitchen and dining room did she find way to the door, peeking through the slats of the blinds and nearly keeling back at who was waiting there. In a fumble did she unlatch it, she practically tore the door off its hinges.

“Shizune-senpai!” Sakura greeted with a flustered expression, practically hanging on the door frame. “Good afternoon—um, do you want to come in? I don’t really have anything, but maybe if you don’t mind instant coffee…”

The med-nin couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “Good afternoon to you, too, Sakura-chan, but that’s not why I’m here, actually. Seeing as you’re Tsunade-sama’s disciple now, and my kōhai, I’m going to take you to the Konoha Hospital. As of today, you’re going to be one of the new juniors of the Medic Corps.”

Admittedly, a flush couldn’t help but suffuse her cheeks, the significance of the position hardly lost to the kunoichi. The Medic Corps were an elite subdivision of the village’s medical ninjas, usually sent in squadrons in times of great calamity while also operating much of the Konoha Hospital. Compared to ordinary med-nin part of established teams, the Medic Corps were only a rung below Lady Fifth herself in terms of medical ability.

“Are you part of it, Shizune-senpai?” Sakura marveled at the older woman, idolization evident.

“More than that. I’m its current Captain since Tsunade-sama became Hokage.”

“Wow, seriously? That’s so cool!”

* * *

By the time Sakura had changed into her scrubs, been given a scroll full of heavy medical textbooks she’d be required to study alongside what Tsunade was already assigning her, she practically looked like she could pass as one of them.

Her particular uniform possessed a white smock she wore over her scrubs, an off-white that contrasted to the usual, brighter colors she was used to donning. With her hair tied back in a stumpy ponytail and bangs pushed back by a pale bandanna, if it weren’t for her height she’d probably look like another part of the team.

A med-nin named Oyone had thus far shown her several wings of the hospital—from the ER, ICU, Casualty, Cardiology… the list seemed endless, but Sakura was rapt with attention as she scrawled everything she could in a notebook, hanging off every word of the older woman with keen attention. It would be roughly an hour or more later by four in the afternoon that they’d finish, finding themselves in a spartan break room where Sakura practically oozed into the folding chair she’d claimed at the sole table nearest the kitchenette.

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” Oyone chuckled when the med-nin gave Sakura a cursory glance, having just poured herself a mug of coffee from a pot she brewed. The aroma of roasted chestnuts and peanut butter diffused, a far more pleasant substitute to the rank sharpness of sterile metals and cleaning solution.

“Yeah, it sure is, but I’m really happy that I get to learn all this. I just really want to make Lady Fifth proud,” Sakura replied with a quiet joy as she perused her notes, flipping through the pages and striving to commit what she could to memory. “I don’t think even my first sensei had as much faith in me as she did the very first day I came into her office asking to become her disciple.”

“Hm, I get it.” Sakura glanced up curiously at Oyone. “Then I’ll be the one who challenges you every step of the way.” When Sakura gave her a confused look, she went on. “Being surrounded by friends and people who believe in you is great, however… you need someone to make you second guess yourself. When I was training to join the Medic Corps and, eventually, the Analysis Team, I didn’t have someone like that. It made me cocky, make a lot of mistakes, and waste a lot of time and resources to get where I am now. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen to you.”

Though Oyone’s words were a little confusing at first, she met the older woman with a mildly cocky expression. “I see. Well, unfortunately for you, I’m a quick learner and good at adapting things. Hell, I’ve already adapted Lady Fifth’s Yin Seal and her transformation technique, so I’ll be certain you eat your words.”

“Yeah?” Oyone challenged with a quirk of her brow and a smirk. “Tell you what: if you can learn the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique and adapt it in a way that you can do it on your own, I’ll get on the PA system and tell everyone in the hospital what an amazing kunoichi you are.”

Sakura couldn’t help but giggle at the ridiculousness of the idea, but liked it nonetheless. Especially since she couldn’t help but feel as though she’d made her first friend in the Medic Corps outside of Shizune.

“Alright, you’d better practice your lines then, Oyone-senpai, because it’ll happen before you even know it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, even though this chapter was just a little rushed, I definitely wanted to lay the groundwork for the little nakama Sakura will build friendships with for the next few years. For anyone wondering what a nakama is, it's a popular literary trope in Southeast Asian fiction wherein the protagonist accrues a team of comrades to complete their journey with. 
> 
> As for everything else, I of course wanted to highlight on the little things Sakura develops on her own that form the basis of the techniques Tsunade would later come to teach her, such as how Sakura's own Byakugō Seal is able to have her siphon her chakra into it, while also returning a fair share back into her own reserves. 
> 
> As for everything else, expect a lot of camaraderie in the coming chapters as these girls build each other up and go on tons of adventures together, let alone Sakura's own apprenticeship story.


	5. Chapter 5

Warning(s): G, none

* * *

The morning would be eventful, there was no denying that. But for as far as she was taking steps in the right direction, they felt like just that—steps. Sakura wanted to sprint ahead, to finally match pace with Sasuke and Naruto even if neither boy was in the village any longer.

The anticipation that prickled her skin in a sensation like gooseflesh was one that wanted to bolt towards the Hokage Tower, even though that was far from where Tonton had directed she go in a missive that had been delivered that morning. The First Training Grounds, she’d learned, were an enormous field allotted to the Hokage’s private use. Emerging from the lightly forested path, dappled shadows lingering on her skin, Sakura couldn’t help but be impressed by its enormity. The scars and welts of times before through the near-century of Konoha’s existence bore traces of the Shodai’s Wood Release that grew sporadically withal the field and encompassed it, thick trees bearing the scabbed, dished indentations from beginning Rasengan entwined with them. At the foremost end was a small lake rumored to be Lord Second’s creation lay in undulating silence, a path of sunlight traced by the sun ensconced in the heavens scintillating on its waters.

The rough underbrush transitioned to the soft tendrils of jade grasses that softened the further Sakura walked. But, as beautiful as it was, even beneath the brush-streaked clouds in shades of lovely pastel lit by the sunrise, she wondered where Tsunade could be. After all, Lady Fifth had said that she needed to meet her there; had made an imperative of it.

“Good. You’re here.”

Sakura wheeled on her heel to face Tsunade herself, the Senju appearing as if from nothingness. The blonde smirked in amusement. “Relax, I’m not going to try and kill you. _Yet,_ ” Tsunade greeted with an impish smirk. Yet, her interest drifted from shrugging off her sage green haori in favor of glancing at Sakura’s Cherry Blossom Seal, a soft sound of intrigue hummed. “Did you maintain your seal all night, Sakura-chan?”

At that, the young teen straightened with comical rigidity. “Y-Yes, Tsunade-shisō! Um… Okay, well, I did lose focus a little bit before bed and accidentally released some chakra, but I was able to build it back up again. I’m still getting the hang of chakra regulation and channeling it and a little bit away back into my own reserves. I’m a little clumsy with it, but it’s getting easier.”

The smile that spanned Tsunade’s features was one of genuine pride in her, something that arose a red flush in the kunoichi, if because she wasn’t used to its meaning. This was but one of a handful of times she’d seen that from one of her teachers, and the first time from Tsunade. Kakashi had praised her a few times before, too, but to receive it from Lady Fifth…

Tsunade motioned a jabbing gesture towards her brow where her Byakugō proudly crowned, thumb trained on it. “Yeah? Well, once you master medical ninjutsu, I’m going to teach you how to form the Byakugō. It’s harder than anything, but I’ll be damned if you don’t give it a shot. Especially since you’re a rung away from getting there, kid. But,” Tsunade continued as she lowered her hand, “I want you to release your seal for now. You’re going to need all your chakra if you’re going to stand a chance against me.”

Sakura swallowed thickly; this was it. Though she only had an idea of what Tsunade’s fighting style was like, she at least knew enough to know what to expect. As she mentally prepared, face becoming one of determination and fearlessness, she made a single hand seal that released the Cherry Blossom Seal, the concentration of chakra released, but in a trickle as the single petal unfurled into five on her brow.

She needed her chakra, but a few days’ worth would be more invaluable in the spar if it weren’t all at once. Sakura felt stronger. Most of all, she felt ready.

Tsunade preempted no warning as she suddenly accrued chakra in her fist and wheeled back, slamming with the ground as it rumbled with an ancient fury and fissures swathed widely before it burst explosively in Sakura’s face. The kunoichi had made a quick study of the pattern that had unfurled and leaped to the largest plate as it violently expelled along with plumes of dust and debris as Sakura was sent sailing into the very sky until she vaulted midair in a dramatic fall. The clouds of dust obscured the Hokage’s vision, Sakura quickly produced a kunai from her holster and tied wire to it, lobbing the kunai away until it struck home in a tree. She hauled herself, riding the momentum of Tsunade’s blow to propel herself away from the blast and safely amid the treetop with a rustle of foliage.

Sakura knew she only had a moment to figure out a plan, let alone retaliate.

Finding a few shuriken, and even though she only knew the basics, she swiftly attached explosive tags and lobbed them into the retreating cloud where Tsunade charged and deftly changed trajectory as the Senju honed on her upon discovering the girl’s location. The projectiles whined through the air as they struck barely a foot beneath Tsunade’s surge, Sakura detonating them and swearing she saw the blonde smirk.

The dull thrum of mortar fire sounded and gray smoke erupted from the incendiaries, enveloping Tsunade though Sakura knew how impotent it would be. It allowed the kunoichi to alight from the tree branches to the ground to try and plan another offensive. As she bolted away, Sakura covered her tracks with booby traps not unlike those she’d set in the Forest of Death. Consisting of land mines, even if it’d do nothing against the Senju, it was enough to obfuscate.

“There you are!” Sakura started at the clarion call, the blonde rushing her and moving with blistering speed. Yet, as Tsunade meant to wind back another punch, the girl smirked and a cloud of smoke enveloped her, revealing a log that clattered to the turf. The Body Replacement Technique, the basic of the basics.

From the hedges that partially skirted the periphery of the forest, under the umbrage of the bushes did Sakura lay in wait, heart galloping in her throat as adrenaline raced through her veins. Signing a hand seal, the explosives detonated and continued to obscure Tsunade, though Sakura knew it wouldn’t last. Just as she meant to charge her position, the earth beneath her feet suddenly rose like a rattled inhale and the earth broke and expectorated debris, giving away Sakura’s position as the girl gasped in surprise and her cover became ruined in a flurry of leaves and branches and twigs.

The resulting concussive blast launched Sakura into the air with a comical revelation of her position, a tempest of branches and twigs buffeting the girl, scrambling to right herself so she might have the wherewithal to land with some sense of dignity on her feet. All Sakura did know was that her body was quickly becoming shredded by the debris that strafed it, wounds opening to be salted by contact with the air, stinging with needled sensation.

Yet, like a hellion did Tsunade lunge through the fumigated dust, fist ready to sunder her in a brutal right hook. But, Sakura willed more chakra from her Cherry Blossom Seal to suffuse her body, loaning her a burst of speed that allowed her to duck before the hit could connect. Tsunade’s blows became a furious barrage that forced Sakura to expend more of her stored chakra, the girl’s mind boggled to retreat and feint from every punch Tsunade wheeled at her, the blonde smirking elatedly at how Sakura adroitly avoided nearly every one.

Even if the Senju wasn’t even breaking a sweat. If anything, it caused her as much strain as reading the morning paper.

Sakura, however, was charging at full capacity and would likely crest and exceed it.

“Compared to Sasuke and Naruto, do you think you’re enough, that _this_ is enough?” Tsunade snarled as Sakura continued to dodge her blows, they engaged in a vicious dance. “You barely scraped by in the beginning, with nothing but the basics the Academy taught you. You don’t have clan to call your own, just a civilian family who barely tried becoming shinobi themselves! Do you really think you have what it takes?!”

Tsunade raised her leg and brought her heel down in a virulent axe kick, cratering the earth where Sakura had just stood, though the Hokage could see the obvious glassiness in Sakura’s eyes as the mounting exhaustion hobbled her emotional control.

The girl had just managed to feint in a burst of speed, eyes more wrathful than sad, Tsunade noticed smugly. Lunging towards the younger kunoichi, she pummeled the earth and opened a massive crevasse that hissed and expelled profusions of dust and dirt where it struck, stone launched and knowing it would likely strike Sakura, too.

“Sasuke is of the noble Uchiha with the Sharingan and a Curse Mark! Naruto is of the Uzumaki like me and contains the might of the Kyūbi in him! Compared to them, who are you, Sakura? Who are you to stand beside them, let alone for them to watch your back? Who are you, Sakura?!” Tsunade shouted as her barrage renewed with an almost sure enmity, but Sakura didn’t yield.

Through tears streaking her cheeks, she continued to pour chakra to allow her to avoid most of Tsunade’s punishing blows, vision a blurred kaleidoscope of Tsunade’s fists and whipping blonde pigtails and the mires of cratered earth and debris that continued to buffet the girl.

“I don’t know, I don’t know!” Sakura railed frantically, managing to leap away from Tsunade’s range of attack, something accumulating in her she didn’t know the shape of despite how familiar it felt. “I don’t know yet! I know, I dragged my team down, I was nothing but a burden to them!”

Except, instead of evading as Tsunade had anticipated of her—as was the point of the lesson to begin with—Sakura charged towards Tsunade, concentrating what she could in her fists as she began to strike back. Though the Senju knew Sakura couldn’t even begin outputting the power she was capable of, she _felt_ something in them as she avoided them easily. It was the unmistakable feel of chakra being built within her fists, and she slowed just enough to bringing up her arms defensively so that Sakura could strike her forearms squarely. As her fist connected the blow, however little it hurt, Tsunade could ascertain something from it.

_She’s already channeling chakra in her extremities. This isn’t just standard fare like walking up trees… She’s trying to adapt my chakra-enhanced strength just from what she’s gleaned from this fight,_ Tsunade surmised within mind as she smiled smugly down at the infuriated girl. _This kid is really something._

But was it enough? Tsunade roared as she brought her fist down, Sakura stilled from surprise but motioned to dodge it, yet something roared from her instead.

A sable, phantasmal entity burst from their interlocked shadows and caught Tsunade’s blow, void white eyes glowering hauntingly in an otherwise featureless face. _Uchi Naru Sakura,_ the characters embossed on its forehead stated, the only idea as to what it was. Both halted, stunned, by the third party that manifested like some nightmarish entity fleshed from a dream.

Recognition filled Sakura’s face as it gave her an opening to wipe away her tear-streaked face, teeth grit as she lunged for Tsunade with an unmistakable battle cry. The entity produced from her shadow became distinct from Sakura as it stood apart from her, and the original glanced at it with an understanding nod. Though Tsunade didn’t know what her student had just produced, her best hazarded guess was it was a Yin Release jutsu, what with its form not unlike the Nara’s Hiden.

She hadn’t been this excited at the prospect of a student’s potential since Shizune, maybe even more so.

Tsunade renewed her assault on the pair of them, Sakura’s doppelganger evading the savage blow that plunged Tsunade’s fist into the earth before it seemed to melt from view. Sakura, otherwise, was too invigorated by their previous exchange of blows to bother with evading as had been Tsunade’s wish to teach. The girl howled as she swung a punch towards Tsunade that caused brief ripples of air from its emulating closeness to chakra-enhanced strength; no shock wave, but the offspring of Sakura’s brilliant observational and adaptive abilities.

Of course the Senju dodged it with superfluous ease, curious to see what Sakura could do.

Both shadowy clone and original launched an assault on Tsunade, a flurry of punches aimed towards her that she watched and danced around like a tango between their blows. If talented shinobi could read each other’s hearts through exchanging blows, why would it be any different for kunoichi?

Tsunade dropped low and swept her feet from out underneath the doppelganger, but it had submerged into the earth, only to halt her leg midway before it could sweep Sakura’s feet from her. Sakura barely managed to jab the air where the blonde had stood, a retorting punch landing on the girl’s abdomen that sent her flying, mindful not to charge it with chakra.

Sakura skidded and bounced before catching herself in a roll and righting her stance, no longer the weepy little wench she’d been a moment before. Her eyes were determined and fierce and not unlike Tsunade’s, passionate and calculating her every move. A wake of dust rose as she stood, fetching a kunai from her holster and holding it tightly as she charged Tsunade, fierce and precise thrusts not enough to take the likes of a Sannin off guard, but the heart and power behind each one impressed Tsunade nonetheless.

“Come on! Is that all you’ve got? Any slower and I might just fall asleep!” Tsunade goaded with a wicked grin, her taunts far less visceral to the girl’s character than they had been.

Sakura only smirked back. “Are you getting tired already, Shisō?” she lobbed back with a smirk of her own, Tsunade immediately realizing her retaliation too late as she felt her head gripped in a headlock by Sakura’s phantom. Sable limbs held her fast before Tsunade easily hurled it into the line of trees with her prodigious strength, Sakura taking the moment of opportunity to bring her kunai in a fast cleave that Tsunade lurched back to avoid, retaliating with a kick that caught Sakura on her calf and sent her careening into the hedges that halted her like a mitt, the girl flinching when she felt something crack.

Realization dawned that her arm was likely fractured if not broken, the sensation lost in the flood of chakra still emanating from the Cherry Blossom Seal. Sakura’s lip quirked in a brief grimace, but she elected to ignore it. Inspired by Kakashi himself, Inner Sakura had buried itself in the ground and seized her by the ankles just as Tsunade moved to charge. With a growl, the woman slammed her sole in the earth and a cacophonous boom sounded, freeing herself and disabling Inner Sakura in the process, the phantom dispelled into the shadows.

With the final reserve of stored chakra, the Cherry Blossom Seal on her forehead faded and Sakura launched herself into the air, several shuriken brandished with explosive tags attached held between the digits of her closed fists, hurling the projectiles in a salvo that careened towards Tsunade and embed in the earth at the woman’s feet. Landing, Sakura signed once and the explosive tags began to fizz riotously.

_Cherry Blossom Blizzard Technique!_

The tags detonated in shell-shocking bursts, the dull _thoom_ rocking the earth. Sakura waited on her feet, feeling faint from the expenditure of nearly all her chakra, barely any reservoirs left. Panting, she watched as the smoke sculled in lazy drifts across the field, the breeze sweeping to reveal an empty space. The girl started when she felt the gentle nudge of a fist at the base of her skull, knowing the wielder.

“You would’ve died if I meant it,” Tsunade quipped smugly, a boyish smirk on her features as Sakura craned around to see a vastly pleased Senju at her back. “But, I’m impressed. You keep proving to me why I was right to take you on, Sakura-chan.” Cocking a hip, Tsunade took a step back and perched a hand on it.

“You… really mean it, Tsunade-shisō?” Sakura marveled incredulously despite how scuffed, tattered, dusty, and injured she was. “That was the most intense battle ever!”

“For you, maybe,” Tsunade laughed, but it wasn’t cruel. “Come on, let’s get you patched up.” With a jerk of her head, she directed Sakura towards a small collection of rubble elicited from their spar, Sakura placidly sitting down and flinching from how intensely her muscles ached. “Where does it hurt?”

“Actually…” Sakura raised her arm sheepishly, “it’s just my arm that’s broken. Everything else is just scratches and stuff. I was able to tell as we fought, but I think the seal numbed the pain, somehow.”

Tsunade genuflected before her and gingerly took Sakura’s arm that was proffered to her, radiant emerald chakra emanating from her palm as Sakura flinched from the bone setting itself and healing. She swallowed thickly before the stinging wave of pain caused her to shiver, a vestige before it healed itself entirely. Passing that hand to suspend over her body, Sakura felt the aches and muscle fatigue ebb away, the minuscule scrapes and bruises resolving themselves until only her tattered clothing was left, but healing jutsu couldn’t remedy that. Sakura couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her mother’s dramatic dismay at having to take it to the tailor’s to be mended. Thankfully, she had spares.

“The way you fought for a genin was incredible. I don’t think Shizune fought like that at your age, and to think—this is my first time training you. Imagine how you’ll fight once I really start teaching you?” Tsunade speculated as she transitioned to Sakura’s back, smiling pleasantly all the while. “You were probably already aware, but you managed to replicate my chakra-enhanced strength a little. It’s very diluted, but it has the same basic principle in mind. However, you won’t be able to truly learn it until you master medical ninjutsu. On top of that, the way you managed to steadily release chakra from your seal is incredibly impressive.”

As the adrenaline high quelled, Sakura’s body began to tremble in consequence. Giddy, she couldn’t help but laugh at Tsunade’s assessment, feeling a riot of jubilant and nervous sensations riddle her body. Maybe it was from her chakra being so depleted, or it was just because she hadn’t fought this torridly since the Sound Four, but whatever it was, she was happy for the glad resolution.

“Thank you, Tsunade-shisō! I know we’re just starting but—I want to prove everyone wrong! I want to be someone that would impress even Kakashi-sensei! And… I even figured out how to invoke Inner Sakura. Now Kurenai-sensei can help me with her, too!”

Tsunade stood up and pouted before Sakura, arms folded. “You mean you’re turning traitor for Kurenai?” she asked with an exaggeratedly jutted lip. As Sakura bumbled for a reply, she burst into gregarious laughter. “Gods, I’m joking! I’m glad you’re working with Kurenai. You’re a genjutsu-type originally, so it’s good that you’re exploring that part of yourself, too!” The woman clapped Sakura heartily on the back, eliciting a comical whimper.

“Ow… I’m gonna be sore for awhile, aren’t I?” Sakura winced as she rubbed her back, standing experimentally and testing her limbs while her eyes watered from the flood of soreness and aches.

Tsunade could only laugh again, dissolving into a girlish fit of giggling. “Sorry! Hey, to make it up to you, why don’t we get back to the office and you can help Shizune file documents and read those books I recommended? It’ll be nice and easy work, promise!”

Sakura didn’t bother suppressing her groan, knowing her work was cut out for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, something I couldn't help but what to portray here is a few things: for starters, aside from Sakura's adaptability and resourcefulness that is a big theme to her characterization, I wanted to show what I think a drawn out battle at her current level would be like. Granted, fight scenes in the manga tend to be cut a little short and concisely, I do think she is this capable even before Tsunade really starts teaching her CES or other fighting skills. 
> 
> Secondly, my hope is to have a balanced draw between some fanon takes on their interlude dynamic and my own, bridging the span between Tsunade being merciless and nearly unhinged to still being a warm presence in Sakura's life who genuinely cares for her development. Tsunade genuinely believed in Sakura, and it's something I want on full-force here.
> 
> Otherwise, I apologize for the late update! I meant to last week, but was a little sluggish and had more muse for other some of my other WOYY stories.


	6. Chapter 6

Warning(s): G, none

* * *

Sakura didn’t know what it was when she awoke to aching bones and sore sinews, something desperate and hungry as it howled a solid half hour before her alarm. Her eyelids snapped open in the wakeless dark, staring blankly into the old cracks that meandered her ceiling like a river. Occasional glimmers of light passed through her translucent curtains, the muffled, unintelligible din of morning porters and other suppliers subdued through her window. It was then, in that startling present, the now that rushed in gave her a window through which she looked and let a thought in.

It didn’t feel like she was progressing fast enough. Even if it hadn’t been a month, a week yet, her mind couldn’t help but stray to the past few months.

Sakura, standing at the gate as she watched Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, and Chōji depart to rescue Sasuke. Sakura, bolting headlong into the roasting ozone that burned the air betwixt Naruto and Sasuke’s Rasengan and Chidori. Sakura, losing consciousness as two titans battled in the forest beyond the stadium, wielding power of a like she’d never seen. Sakura, studying the Uzumaki and Uchiha and Hyūga and all the other clans of her class and feeling so pathetically, infinitesimally small compared to these children and family of clan heads with histories so storied and noble she felt like choking on the bile of her own pathetic personage in compare.

How could she feel this way? Sakura’s legs folded until she could gather her knees against her sternum, near the hot aura stinging her eyes. The rustling of thin sheets against her skin reminded of soreness, of where a broken bone had mended. There could have been more, after she’d fought Tsunade. More that Tsunade healed, more than what she could identify in the adrenalized aftermath.

Maybe it was because her fight with Tsunade was a spar. It was a spar compared to the terrain-altering destruction both boys had wrought, with Sasuke’s Curse Mark and Naruto’s Kyūbi. Frustration welled within her, a geyser ascending higher and hotter.

_And where was I? Where the hell was **I**?!_

With a cry did Sakura leap from her bed, unconscious of the chakra amassed in her fist as she smote the wall that framed the balcony’s doorway so viciously that it plunged through the drywall and wiring and insulation, passing cleanly through with a dusty cloud as half of the sliding door itself unseated from the wall and glass smashed in a sharp, bursting profusion of frigid shattering. The girl barely winced, apathetically nursing her now injured hand as it trembled with cuts she numbly considered.

“Sakura? What’s going on here?” Mebuki demanded incredulously as she gawped at the destruction wrought, Sakura unable to face them in her shame.

“Mebuki, go back to sleep. I’ll handle this,” Kizashi murmured kindly as he placed a warm hand on his wife’s shoulder, bronzed features split apart by a reassuring smile as she met it uncertainly, but with trust. Quietly, she slipped from the room and shut the door with a faint click, leaving Sakura alone with her father.

With a gentility befitting such a situation, he shepherded her for the favor of her bedside, coaxing her to sit carefully whilst he took his chin thoughtfully and examined the damage. “Hm, well, you didn’t punch through anything important, and it looks like the door just loosened a little bit. And, look!” She didn’t in her well of shame, but he continued unabated. “It was only a little bit of the glass that came loose, but not a whole lot. Nothing some fūinjutsu can’t fix, eh, Sakura-chan?”

Tugging the fabric of his pants beneath his kneecaps before sitting, he crossed his ankles and offered his side for Sakura to cuddle into, taking her hand and tsking softly. Her father had always conferred such a gentle warmth in times like these, furling her legs and letting his warm broadness shelter her like a rampart against a fell wind. A fatherly wall that quieted the tempest of her mind.

“Thankfully, it’s just a superficial wound, nothing too deep,” Kizashi murmured to himself as he tenderly wiped away the rivulets of coppery blood like ink in the darkness, pressing several bandages to the worst while wrapping her hand and wrist in gauze. It wasn’t the best field dressing, as Kizashi was far from a med-nin, but it held. At least until she could see Shizune or someone else about it. “…Do you want to talk about it, kiddo?”

Though her lower lip worried, Sakura knew she could trust Kizashi. Sometimes, even more than she did her own mother. “I feel like I have a longer way to go than Sasuke or Naruto,” she confessed feebly, shame from her outburst trickling clammily through the paternal comfort of her father. “Papa, it feels so bad of me! Sasuke-kun lost his entire clan, and Naruto-kun has been hated for as long as he could remember! And here I am, being dumb and selfish and a stupid little kid when I’ve had such a nice life compared to them.”

It wasn’t enough to see tears form in her eyes, but the insinuation of it prickled the corners. Sakura was tired of crying. Even if her parents were the last people she should have to hide her true feelings around.

Kizashi quirked a small smile before it fell again thoughtfully. “I understand what you’re going through,” he began, before he interjected with a brief chuckle, “for the most part. My team mates certainly haven’t been whisked away by the Sannin under different circumstances, nor was I trained by one, but— I was mediocre. Very, very mediocre. Even today.”

“Papa, you turned down being promoted to Chūnin,” Sakura stated with a frown, a pucker to her brow.

“I did it because keeping your comrades alive shouldn’t have to be rewarded. Besides, I’m not exactly cut out to be Chūnin,” Kizashi replied somberly, before he brightened to continue even though Sakura didn’t believe him. “The point is, Sakura-chan, we’re a civilian family. Not a non-shinobi family that aligned with a clan like most of the families in the village, but a purely civilian one. The Haruno came from the Crescent Moon Kingdom, and your mother’s from the Land of Neck far to the northeast. We were mercantile, and hers were a shrine family. I became a shinobi out of dumb luck, really.

“My point being, you shouldn’t be put down for feeling average compared to your peers. Kids who come from old, old clans with fancy gimmicks who were born for this. The fact that you got the attention of one of the Sannin, _damn_ —look at what you did to the wall. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Lady Fifth was your mother instead of Mebuki. Don’t tell mama that, though,” he said with a conspiratorial smile, Sakura reluctantly allowing a smile and giggle, bell-like, to flit across her features.

Despite his propensity for bad puns, if there was one thing Kizashi knew how to do, it was cheer her up and try to understand her. It was different from Mebuki who erred far more towards building Sakura up and encouraging her to excel, to the point that Sakura wondered if her mother wanted her to exceed for her own sake, or her daughter’s. That didn’t mean Mebuki hadn’t been invaluable. Despite being a dropout, her ability to teach well had helped Sakura immensely through the Academy whilst even her father’s general knowledge as a Genin had helped to train her. Maybe she didn’t come from a clan, but her parents were just as precious to her.

“Thanks, papa,” Sakura rejoined with a small smile, rubbing at her eyes with her uninjured hand. “Um, I was wondering… Do you think you could help me with learning about chakra natures? I don’t really know who else to ask.”

At that, Kizashi couldn’t help but grin elatedly. “Really, just like old times?” At Sakura’s shy smile, he ruffled her hair affectionately, the girl making a face and trying to bat his hand away. “I only know Earth Release, but, I’ll let you in a little secret: once you can pick up one chakra nature, it’s much easier to learn the rest. When can we begin, kiddo?”

Sakura looked briefly thoughtful. “Kurenai-sensei trains me in the morning to the afternoon, then I’ll be with Shizune from noon to four, then Tsunade-shisō  
from four to… whenever we finish, really,” she supplied, shoulders shrugged. After all, the primary point was that she was training with Tsunade, so the uncertainty made a degree of sense.

“Hm, what about weekends?”

“Tsunade-shisō tends to take weekends off for missions and other diplomatic stuff,” Sakura brokered with a small smile, earning another ruffle to her hair.

“Weekends it is,” Kizashi confirmed as he draped his arm over Sakura’s shoulders and pulled her a little closer, the brightening haze of light surmounting the pall of night and skyline of the village almost symbolic of the hope her father had imparted, however nascent it truly was. “You really want to protect those boys, don’t you, Sakura-chan?” Teal eyes flickered to him, her lower lip bit as if in a bid to prevent any more tears from seeping. “You’re one of the strongest people I know, kiddo. It’s why I know you’ll succeed, and when the time comes, you’ll be able to stand on your own high ground and watch the horizon with them like we are now. It’s just a matter of time.”

Sakura snuffled and felt the tensity of her shoulders alleviate, a small smile borne of genuine contentment made manifest.

“Thank you, papa.”

* * *

The bleary-eyed dawn had since evaporated into a true heraldry of daytime when Sakura finished preparing and had torn down the stairs to sup on a modest breakfast of tamagoyaki, a dish of fresh fruit, washed down by a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, refreshing on what would promise to be an unseasonably warm day. It wasn’t called the Land of Fire for nothing, after all. With both of her parents since departed to their daytime jobs, Sakura had learned to cook out of necessity with the odd help from Mebuki who was happy to pass on what she’d known.

Snatching the bento she’d made the night before from the fridge, a healing fūinjutsu she’d gotten from Tsunade for such instances as the night before did the job healing her injured hand, a boon she was grateful for.

The village was its usual flurry of activity, the Haruno residence located in the heart of the commercial district where most civilian families lived. Sakura navigated her way through the closure of looming storefronts and other such establishments, the greasy scent of cooking foodstuffs steering her away to her true destination.

The Fourth Training Grounds were barely far at all from the Third that had been Team 7’s initial preoccupation. Unlike the Third, it lacked the tree wooden posts but made up for it in speckled targets she could see hanging haphazardly from the tree boughs at varied depths within the woods. The air was noticeably cooler, tangier by the forest, free from the shackling din of the village like being somewhere suffocating.

“Sakura-chan, there you are!”

Sakura perked to see Kurenai waving from a picnic table she was clearing of what appeared to be breakfast, Hinata seated across from her whom greeted the older girl with a shy wave. Sakura couldn’t help the sense of elation she felt, cantering to the table and seating herself next to Hinata.

“It’s good to see you again, Sakura-chan,” Hinata greeted with a happy flush, Sakura unable to help herself as she engulfed the younger girl in a bear hug, earning a laugh from Kurenai. As they parted, Sakura felt like bursting from the seams with her news.

“I don’t really know how I did it, Kurenai-sensei, but I was able to manifest Inner Sakura when I sparred with Tsunade-shisō the other day!”

What registered as a look of surprise soon became one of elation as Kurenai composed herself and bestowed Sakura a congratulatory pat on her head, eliciting a wan blush from the girl who beamed in the quiet praise. “You did? That’s fantastic! I’ll admit, that makes my job a little easier here today, Sakura-chan.”

“Kurenai-sensei is helping me learn to resist genjutsu, so… maybe you could use Inner Sakura with me,” Hinata suggested with a small smile.

Sakura jubilantly hooked her arm through Hinata’s, her grin wide and unabashed. “We’re gonna be genjutsu experts, Hinata-chan! Besides, can’t Hyūga extend the range of their genjutsu with the Byakugan? With Inner Sakura, we’d make a killer genjutsu team with Kurenai-sensei as the genjutsu master!”

“That could very well happen,” Kurenai returned indulgently before she sobered. “Can you summon it again, or does it need to be provoked?”

Sakura looked thoughtful until realization dawned that she’d never deliberately summoned Inner Sakura before. Like with Ino or Tsunade, it had emerged when she was under particular duress. “I wonder if being provoked into coming out is really the issue. It has twice already, so maybe I need to learn to bring it out on my own.”

“M-Maybe you could try meditating to speak with it?” Hinata suggested, voice nearly a susurrus from how subdued she oft was.

“You’re right, Hinata-chan. I think that’s what I have to do if I want it to cooperate with me.”

From the bench she sat upon did Sakura trade for the soft turf that she sat upon thence, legs crossed in the lotus position as a deep inhale opened the gate into an inner serenity she strove to locate. The whispering murmur of the vernal breeze through the lacy boughs of green from newly budded leaves drowned even the faraway din of the village more akin to the severance between one realm and the next. The more Sakura focused, the more darkness crept within her mind’s eye until reality shuttered itself altogether.

When Sakura’s eyes fluttered open, a void of black saw her stand upon a blank plane, solid as glass yet unyielding and soundless where she stood. Although the kunoichi was primed to lurch into a soundless analysis of her surroundings was she muted by another.

_So, you’re finally here, huh?_

Like standing in a mirror did her shadow stand apart of her, outlined in white with the characters for _‘Uchi Naru Sakura’_ embossed on its brow.

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Sakura confirmed with a furrowed brow, determination hardening her features to eroded, feathery stone. “I think it’s about time we talked. You’re not just my inner narrator anymore. You’re part of me, my… Inner Sakura, right?”

 _Good for you for figuring that out,_ Inner Sakura patronized sarcastically, void white eyes shaped like one filled with consternation. It were as if her lines were less defined, poorly rendered by the synapses of her mind that processed such a thing. _So, now that you’re Lady Fifth’s apprentice, you won’t be needing me much anymore, will you?_

“No, it’s not like that at all.” This drew the phantom’s eye, honed on the girl critically. Sakura sighed, legs folding with contemplation coloring her movements. “…I get it. Under her, I feel like I’m looking at who I should be if I didn’t foist all my feelings onto you. If I didn’t keep hiding how I felt, but just stood my ground and said how I really feel.” The girl grew quiet, the smolder in her breast simmering to a quiet flame. “You’re you… and I’m me. Maybe I don’t want you to disappear. Maybe I want us to be partners.”

_Partners?_

Sakura smiled and nodded. “Partners,” she echoed; a voice after a voice, after a voice.

As soon as she’d spoken, it was like a dam had collapsed and a furious darkness fell upon her with fulsome rage, Sakura barely able to utter a scream as the foggy blackness diffused and she grappled with her doppelganger in fierce attrition.

 _I don’t believe you! Once you get what you want from me, you’ll just throw me away even after everything I’ve done for you!_ Inner Sakura raged as she feinted with a fierce uppercut, clipping Sakura’s jaw with a sound crackle of its bone and the blow connecting. _When Ino was about to gobble you up, I was the one who kept you from drowning! When everyone in your class looked down at you for being a lowly little civilian nobody, I was angry enough to make you do something about it! Even with all their fancy gimmicks and stupid history, I was the reason you never gave up!_

Sakura recovered in time to dodge Inner Sakura’s swift right hook, overbalanced on her heel before Sakura utilized her momentum to swipe her foot beneath Inner Sakura and upset the phantom enough that it landed on its rump almost comically were it not for the emotional conflagration flaring between the pair.

Feelings that had been brutally stifled and forcefully suspended under the heat of her own drive trickled through before bursting. She barely recognized the heat of impending tears that stung at her tear ducts, like a hornet’s sudden retaliation, until recognition came with reminiscence. Of being the girl overlooked, looked down upon. Each day, her classmates would grouse about the training regimen their fathers and mothers and relatives would pile upon them, how instructors would offhandedly mention how one jutsu or another lesson would be bolstered with what they learned at their clan’s compound. How there’d be no mention of the civilian in their numbers, of the girl who didn’t have any bloodline to speak of.

Visions of a misappropriated past evaporated like mist before sunrise, only to be touched and lit as an array of a million gemstones. Inner Sakura filled her vision, paralyzed through a punch barely centimetres from buffeting Sakura’s nose. Though their places had shifted with haunted suddenness, feet gathered beneath and a composure resumed brought her through the fierce suspension to quietly embrace Inner Sakura, the burden of years of inadequacy cumbersome upon every corner of her psyche.

“I’m sorry,” Sakura apologized with a voice that shattered the dense sadness like glass, its resonance soundless yet like the wake of some sweet bell. “ _I’m sorry_. I know, I owe it to you for all those years, but… I was just using you. Back then, you helped keep me steady, but I don’t want to have to depend on you anymore. I don’t want to use you. I want something different.” Silence stopped nothing as Sakura embraced her doppelganger tightly, as if it’d pour into ink if she didn’t, evaporated into abyssal nothingness. “I want us to work together. What happened in the past is over. I’m going to get stronger for both of us, but I can’t do it alone.”

Inner Sakura was heavy in her arms much the way she’d been for Kizashi just hours ago, but, she was her father’s daughter. She was made for peace as much as she could fight in a war, that much she was completely assured of.

And though the phantom didn’t answer, a weightlessness reigned and Inner Sakura became shimmery, translucent before dissipating in fractals of light as a heavenly sunburst broke through the veil of night and banished it in a watery cascade as the entirety of the space became illuminated by a sunny radiance.

“Sakura-chan, are you alright?”

Sakura became conscious after the flood of light, its intensity succumbing to a less vibrant reality despite how buttery and sanctified her psyche became in a moment of direly needed soul-searching. Or rather, it was of a sort she hadn’t known she’d needed.

When her faculties fully resumed did Sakura blink away the harsh profusion of light, vision filled with a concerned Kurenai and Hinata, the younger girl with her violet Byakugan invoked in a frame of bulging veins. Sakura grunted and touched her head, cranium throbbing as if a hammer had struck it blind and bloody.

“Yeah… I think I am. Why?” Sakura asked in befuddlement; she’d only meditated, so what was the fuss?

“Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan told me that your chakra was… irregular. Did you put yourself under genjutsu?” Kurenai returned with worry puckered on her brow.

Sakura blinked vacantly before it registered what the genjutsu mistress meant, until realization dawned. “I… don’t think I did it intentionally. I was in a dark place, but I wasn’t alone. I talked with Inner Sakura, and I think we were able to resolve something important, but… was that bad?” she broached cautiously, the weight of a pause as heavy as a true silence.

Upon realizing that her student was fine, Kurenai uttered a soft sigh. “No, but it’s a very rare thing to do, casting an illusion on yourself. You really are a genjutsu-type,” she praised with a smile crooking her lips. “Regardless, I take it that you managed to cross an important bridge.” At Sakura’s nod of affirmation, the woman visibly relaxed.

“We were g-going to practice genjutsu reversal if you're okay, Sakura-chan.”

Sakura brightened at the possibility, especially since she’d only done it a few times before. Kurenai rose from her seat, the two girls leaping from theirs as the Jōnin smirked elatedly at them both, a determined smile crossing Sakura’s paired with Hinata’s that tinged on something other than shyness.

“Are you girls ready?”

“Yes, Kurenai-sensei!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, there isn't too much to add here, but in terms of lore, it's pretty cool that the games made [Inner Sakura](https://naruto.fandom.com/wiki/Inner_Sakura) into a real moveset, one you'll see over the course the fic. It's just a shame she never appeared in canon again, really.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: To those of you coming from my other works in the Way of Yin and Yang AU, and to those new, welcome! While beginning this story was something of an impulsive decision, I couldn't help but go forward with it. The aim of this fic is mostly to furnish a background for Sakura during the 2.5 year Interlude period in my AU, but it's a bit more than just that.
> 
> As for what the title comes from, it's inspired by the Three Charities of Greek mythology.
> 
> Admittedly, my aim comes from a want to provide Sakura with more positive and productive relationships with other women and girls, and other minor characters, to develop her abilities outside of what just Tsunade teaches her per my headcanons and things taken willy nilly from the games/books/movies, to flesh out my vision for her relationship with Tsunade and Shizune, and to give her more prominence in things like the non-canon movies/books/games she appears in during this time and Part II that will face something of a rewrite in this fic.
> 
> In any case, I hope you stick around for the gnarly trip ahead!


End file.
